The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 17, 2009
Filed:
Jan. 23, 2007
Keiichi Gotoh, Kyoto, JP;
Keiichi Gotoh, Kyoto, JP;
Shimadzu Corporation, Kyoto-shi, JP;
Abstract
The present invention relates to an X-ray imaging apparatus using a technique for preventing artifacts appearing in 3D X-ray images. The technique involves subtraction images obtained by an energy subtraction unit serving as the basis for a 3D reconstruction process for acquiring a 3D X-ray image selectively showing a site of interest in a patient. The technique also involves an image subtraction process carried out by the energy subtraction unit according to weights set by a weight setter which selects only the site of interest in the patient, and eliminates soft tissue forming a background around the site of interest. As a result, even if body motion occurs with the soft tissue forming the background around the site of interest of the patient while subtraction images are acquired one after another by the energy subtraction unit, the body motion in the soft tissue of the patient never appears as artifacts on the subtraction images, or on a 3D X-ray image acquired on the basis of the subtraction images.